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Category Archives: Swedish Photography Museum

Stockholm photography museum Fotografiska has announced that they are opening new branches in New York City and London. The museum’s aim is to combine contemporary photography exhibits with a large space and attract would-be photography fans with a restaurant and special events.

Photographer brothers Jan and Per Broman founded Fotografiska in Stockholm in May 2010 and it quickly became one of the top destinations in the city. Located near the water in the historic Södermalm district, the museum overlooks Lake Mälaren’s confluence with the Baltic Sea. Unlike most photography museums, Fotografiska is a for-profit organization and does not own a permanent collection, relying more on a series of rotating and traveling exhibits. Both international and domestic photographers have had their work exhibited at Fotografiska’s Swedish location. Artists like Annie Leibowitz, Liu Bolin and Edward Burtynsky have shown their photos at the venue. The art center has also displayed photos by Swedish photographers like Anders Petersen and hosted visual artists such as Chen Man. During 2017 alone, the museum had more than 500,000 visitors.

Fotografiska plans to open their London branch in Whitechapel in late 2018. The London location will offer classes for budding photographers and will feature two restaurants, a cafe and a bar. Like its Stockholm counterpart, Fotografiska London will cater to visitors who want to enjoy a tasty meal and also includes substantial event space. The museum is located in the former Aldgate Union building near Whitechapel Gallery, and the company hopes to take advantage of the area’s popularity as a tourist destination to boost ticket sales.

Plans are also in the works for a third location in New York City. Fotografiska has already leased the historic Church Missions House located at 281 Park Avenue South in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. The building has been vacant since 2015, and the interior will be remodeled to reflect Fotografiska’s distinctive two-tone aesthetic. Fotografiska New York is helmed by co-founder Jan Broman; he hopes to open an additional overseas branch of the art gallery in 2018.